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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — a partner
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. last — finally
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rock — a stone
  11. last — to go on
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chip — to eat
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. last — final
  20. bass — low music
  21. rock — music
  22. drill — army training
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com